Letters: An open-air market structure should be added in city

September 07, 2007 12:00 am

In order to facilitate public access to local produce, an open air market structure should be built. This structure would serve both large and small produce growers.

Benefits to the public include: savings on trucking costs and fossil fuels consumption, a healthier diet, easy access to the public for local produce growers and keeping our grocery money in the community.

Features of such a structure should be as follows. A structure that would eliminate the need for growers to bring canopies and would allow growers to back full-size pickup trucks into the building where they could sell out of their vehicles without unloading if they desired while being sheltered from the elements.

An enclosed walkway for the public that can be secured and also cleaned mechanically. The structure should have easily controlled passive solar heating and lighting, be vermin proof, have vents that can function as fly-traps, and be able to control gusts from high winds when neccessary.

The structure should be centrally located in Crescent City with an exterior sign rack visible to passers by where the vendors can post signs when they are in. Security should be shared, first in, last out and flexible hours. In the event that the structure becomes a bustling complex, acoustics need to be taken into account. The structure design should be as simple as possible and should be designed for easy expansion and additions including, counters, refrigeration, improved produce cleaning and bio-mass removal.

However, because there are so many critical details to creating an efficient comfortable building, the initial building should be small, say four or eight stalls (vehicle doors). Experience gained from this building can be utilized in future expansion or another building design can be used when expansion is needed.